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2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year
Aqua Utopia｜海の底で記憶を紡ぐ
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@fig-for-a-kiss
when will I learn that I’m way too old to not take stretching seriously
Honestly I’ve never related to a post more
my calves are dying from PT massage and acupuncture this week because I have not yet learned this lesson. trying to release 20+ year old knots in there is no fun.
Oops, i just realized that i never posted my photos from worlds 😅 but i’m so proud to say that i’m 10th in the world!! i had a really disappointing couple of years where i just kept dropping in placement at every major, and it honestly felt like a dream to earn my first world medal. if any of yall feel like you’re stuck in the same place, please keep going!! sometimes it takes longer than you think it will, but, if it’s important to you, don’t give up!
This worlds feels like an eternity ago and I just realized I forgot to post!! Words can’t even describe the feeling of going from no recall last year to 30th this year. When they called out the recalls my mom and I both burst into tears of joy and no one around us knew if that meant good or bad news. :p
This spring was really tough to balance dance and work while trying to write and defend my thesis, go on postdoctoral fellowship interviews, and try not to freak out about all the unknowns including moving to a new city. I prepared the best I could for this worlds but I knew I didn’t put the time in like I did last year and that made me nervous.
Honestly, dance day was one big mental test. I was feeling fly in my new look (thanks yet again Momma Duff!) but wanted the dancing to shine on the day. I fought back all the negative thoughts that cropped into my head and danced my absolute heart out in the hornpipe. It was one of the best rounds I’ve ever done.
The soft shoe was a different story. 3 at a time is tough no matter what but I travel backwards in my middle step and decided to cut back to avoid the other two girls on the other side of the stage. Unfortunately, they didn’t see me either and cut backward as well, and when I turned around we collided so hard the other girl fell into a split and I tumbled to the back of the stage (and we became instagram famous in the process I learned later :P). I was absolutely mortified and apparently hit my head because the EMTs concussion checked me afterward. I think we were in such shock that Dan Armstrong wouldn’t let us go onstage for a WHILE until my whole body started hurting and I knew if I didn’t dance then I wouldn’t be able to. I wasn’t even thinking about the recall at that point, and to be honest I thought it was out of the question with a fall that bad, but I loved my reel so much that I just wanted that joy to shine on stage. I could have freaked out, or given up, or danced timid to try not to bump anyone, but I didn’t. I danced smart and we all left each other plenty of space, but I danced as hard as I could to prove that I wanted this. After the soft shoe I wasn’t sure it was enough.
So when they called that recall, I lost my mind for a second. I let all of the emotion from the entire spring out and it was such a joyful release I can’t even describe it. Thank goodness I wasn’t first for the set or I would have been a basket case. The set wasn’t the best I’ve ever done, but I knew I hadn’t put the time in that I needed to and I just wanted to dance with joy. I had so much fun at the awards ceremony cheering on my friends and getting to take the awards stage again. I can’t even post photos from the awards because I was trying so hard not to happy/ugly cry that I just made a weird face the whole time!
Anyway, now that Worlds are over and life has settled down, I can also announce that I’m officially starting a postdoc at Harvard this fall in the neuroscience department! I have no idea how dance fits into that but I just know it still brings me so much joy that I don’t want to stop. I may be a super senior lady, but I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me. :D
Always grateful for the opportunity to represent my region with all the amazing dancers from Western Canada 🇨🇦 and to be part of an extremely talented age group at the Worlds. 🌎 To each person who has helped me prepare, thank you! I couldn’t have done this without all your support, encouragement and cheering. 🙌🏼
It feels great to be home and to leave Glasgow with a personal best, a happy heart and a hunger for Nationals. On to Orlando!
https://ift.tt/2GuZOag
Back to recording tunes from the live stream today! Absolutely obsessed with this reel from the ladies 20-21 competition this morning. The tunes were absolutely gorgeous all morning!
Beautiful new Taylor Dresses at the 2018 worlds
Photos of the 2018 Worlds by Jeff Mitchell for Getty Images
Sesamoids, part 2
Now that you’ve heard my long story, here are things that I find helpful in managing my sesamoid fracture. It takes work every day, but being able to dance is SO worth it! This is just what works for me in consultation with my doctor, and anyone experiencing pain should see a doctor for help!
-Padding: Sesamoid pads or dancer’s pads are designed to redistribute weight off of your sesamoids. I wear Dr. Jill’s pads at all times when dancing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E1VTR30/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_dp_T2_pjvszbWTAB526. I find the cut-out to be small, so I cut them for my own best fit, and I’ve been wearing them on both feet while dancing to hopefully help prevent also injuring my right foot. Dr. Jill’s are great because they’re reusable. I just wash them with regular unscented hand soap after each wear. I also wear pads in my regular shoes every day. I live in NYC and walk quite a bit, so I find this helps me avoid inflaming my sesamoid while just going about my day. Dr. Jill’s work for everyday use, too, but if I need something stickier or more low profile I use these single-use pads also: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015TEVXC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_dp_T2_WjvszbE8VWTMB.
-Shoes: Changing my footwear has been absolutely crucial in managing this injury. It sucked to have to spend lots of money on new shoes and give up some favorites that weren’t good for my feet, but so worth it in the long run. I look for shoes that keep me up off the ground, are cushy, and promote a natural “rock”/“roll” through the ball of your foot/toes. Arch support also helps a LOT. I have a few pairs of Danskos that have been lifesavers, a pair of Alegria boots, and a pair of slip on sneakers from Sofft that are great. I also recommend these insoles for sneakers, which have a red cushion under the sesamoids that can be removed to create a the effect of a dancer’s pad: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VQSGQOY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_dp_T2_5kvszb6HHW4DT.
-Ice socks! Icing is very helpful to reduce inflammation, but it can be kind of awkward to get an ice pack to stay on the bottoms of your feet. These socks with ice packs in them are AMAZING: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003L4WOKG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_dp_T2_bkvszb7RDZ30P. Even if you don’t have sesamoid issues, I recommend them! Or you could probably easily do a DIY version using old socks and ice packs.
-Contrast baths: Also great for reducing inflammation after class. I just use my bath faucet and run my feet under hot water for 3 minutes, then cold for 1 minute and repeat that 3-4 times. I even made a playlist for it (3-4 minute song, followed by a 1 minute song x4). The 1 minute part is a great opportunity to bust out the punk rock!
-Rolling: I find that it’s important to roll my feet out frequently. I like to use a lacrosse ball because it’s not too hard or too small a surface area to roll over my sesamoids, and it feels great on my arches. Don’t roll over your injured sesamoid with too much force, or at all, if you’re in pain! Listen to your body!
-Strengthening: This is still a work in progress for me, but I’ve been trying to focus on strengthening my ankles, feet, and shins (and really everything) so that my body is strong enough to properly absorb the impact that caused my fracture.
-Say NO to dancing on hard floors as much as possible: Irish dance is getting better about this and most schools use studios with proper sprung floors these days, but there are still situations where we have to dance in church halls, school gyms, concrete in parks, etc. I try to minimize this as much as possible, and make a plan for lots of recovery afterward.
-Journaling: I’m not perfect at this, but I try to keep notes about how my foot feels after every class/practice. This helps me actively monitor how things are feeling and what strategies worked for recovery. It also helps me stay on top of when I might be practicing too much. Like any stress fracture, this is an overuse injury, and it has forced me to be smarter about my practice and prioritize quality over quantity. I know there’s a cost to any time I spend subjecting my feet to impact, so I try to make the best possible use of that time. There’s lots you can do to improve your dancing without putting any impact on your sesamoids! Keeping a practice journal is also helpful for venting and processing your ~*feelings*~, which chronic injuries tend to provoke!
I hope this is helpful! Sending all good vibes to the other dancers out there managing/recovering from injuries! I think it’s so important to talk about this stuff and hopefully help prevent it from happening to others! Knowledge is power!
Reblogging for reference. Especially useful tips for dancers dealing with injury during St. Patrick’s Day season!
Sesamoids, part 1
I’ve had a few people message me about sesamoid injuries over the last few days, so I wanted to share my story and some tips. When I was learning about this injury there wasn’t much info/discussion out there in the Irish dance world, so I thought it might be helpful to put it all out there. Feel free to skip this saga and jump to part 2 for tips!
Let me start with the caveat that I’m not a medical professional in any way, shape, or form, this is just my own unique experience with this injury. I’m a 27-year-old living in NYC, so my situation is quite different from most Irish dancers out there. And let me also emphasize that this is a serious injury that seems to be very common among Irish dancers that doesn’t get talked about, and it can be hard to identify. I know that I didn’t realize I had an injury for a very long time, because it seemed reasonable/normal to me for my feet to be sore for days at a time from jumping up and down on a block of fiberglass for hours. So, Irish dancer PSA: if the balls of your feet hurt, go see a doctor! Sesamoids are tricky to heal because they don’t get much blood supply, so the sooner you catch it the more likely you are to be able to heal a fracture!
As mentioned, I didn’t realize I was injured probably for months after fracturing my sesamoid. I remember feeling some pain in the ball of my left foot for a week or so last June, but around the same time I sprained my left ankle landing a jump. Because of the sprain, I took most of the summer off from dancing to focus on PT, and the pain in the ball of my foot subsided. But I started to notice it coming back with a vengeance while doing single-leg calf raises and some jumping as part of my PT for my ankle, and as I was easing back into dancing. By the time I saw my orthopedic doctor about it in the middle of September, my MRI showed that the bone was 90% dead, and my doctor was fairly certain I’d need surgery to remove the bone. After a LOT of crying, she helped me make a plan to try to dance through the Oireachtas with regular follow ups, and a plan to reassess in early December. On the recommendation of a family member, I also ended up getting a second opinion from a doctor in another city who specializes in sesamoid surgeries. The second doctor made me feel confident about the plan we had in place, reassured me that returning to dance would be possible though hard after surgery, and also offered some other alternatives to consider (cortisone shots) before going straight down the path to surgery after the Oireachtas. So, based on my doctors’ advice, from the middle of September through early December, I was in a walking boot except when dancing, so that dancing would be the only activity aggravating my sesamoid and to allow the inflammation to subside as much as possible. I used a bone stimulator two times a day throughout this time, also. I started wearing sesamoid pads at all times when dancing, and it didn’t help much, but I had a pedorthist (orthotic specialist) build some foam arch support into my hard shoes to help redistribute pressure away from my sesamoid, at least when standing. I also started taking calcium supplements and generally trying to up my calcium intake to promote bone growth. I kept a very close eye on how my foot was feeling and used ice and contrast baths regularly at home after dancing. I was VERY diligent about all of this. By the time of the Oireachtas, pain had completely subsided except during and immediately after dancing.
My follow-up MRI showed much more healing than expected, but because the bone was already dying, my fracture will likely never heal fully. My doctor allowed me to return to regular shoes, and because I was only experiencing minimal pain when dancing (~2-3 out of 10), I was able to return to dancing and forgo surgery or further intervention with the understanding that I should follow up with my doctor if my pain increases. In the months since then, I’ve been able to successfully manage my pain and not inflame it again, while also increasing the level of my dancing (for the Oireachtas I was training for traditional set and teams, December through present I’ve been working on champs-level solo dancing). What’s especially weird about this injury is that there may be a “so bad it’s good” element to it. As in, because my fracture won’t heal and the bone is dying/dead, I may reach a point where it’s just dead and no longer painful. But, it may also rear its ugly head again at any point, so it’s going to be a matter of constant monitoring and care, and I know that I still may need cortisone shots and/or surgery in the future.
Reblogging as I’ve just been diagnosed with sesamoiditis after the pain was misdiagnosed as arthritis for over a year. Seconding the PSA to see a doctor if you have foot pain and to get a second opinion sooner rather than later!
What a great weekend of dancing! Achieved my childhood goal of dancing in preliminary championships (way over a decade later, but who’s counting?), passed grades 4 and 5, celebrated a bunch of awesome results and milestones for other dancers at my school, and had a great time exploring Lancaster. 💚🌹☘️
Random person at feis: Hey, that thing in your slip jig was really cool! I’ve never seen that before!
Me, quietly sweating: Um. Thanks.
Me, internally, admitting the truth:
How awesome would it be if there was like an ultimate world championship and anyone who has won worlds could compete and someone would be named the one world champion of irish dance... I'd be interested to see who would win
Oh my gosh I’m still pinching myself! New England Oireachtas Champ! I’m so thankful and blessed to have these crazy teachers in my life who constantly push me to dance better than my best. And to the best group of senior ladies and friends a girl could ask for, I’m so proud of each and every one of you. I couldn’t ask to take the stage with a better group of boss women.
And to everyone who has a dream so big it scares the crap out of you, never stop dreaming. It may take longer than you’d like, but just don’t stop, don’t quit, and always ask how you can change up your training to get the results you want. This is my 17th Oireachtas, and 21st year of dancing, and I finally feel like I got my training right. Be patient, trust the process, and it will happen. :)
Beyond thrilled for you! Such a well-deserved result!
So bittersweet to be only 3 away from the senior ladies recall😳 massive improvement from last year! Where to go from here🤔
Nationals! :)
Loving all the senior ladies post-oireachtas recaps, so I thought I'd jump back on tumblr for a minute to add mine.
This Oireachtas did not quite go to plan. I was hoping to build on the momentum I had leading up to Nationals, but instead I stumbled a bit through the fall with mediocre results and some mental roadblocks. Working on revamping my cross training, where to direct my focus in class, and how to build back up after a disappointing result. Hoping to jump back in and go to All-Irelands in February, but taking this week to assess whether I'm ready to jump right back into training mode yet.
But, all that said, I've never recalled at the Oireachtas before. It was a different competition this year now that we're split into 22&over, so I was working for a higher placement. But I'm trying to focus on the small victory of getting into that top half in the first place. I'm humbled by the amount of talent in the 22&over age group and so honored to dance with this group of rockstars. By far, the best part of this year’s Oireachtas was that my mom was here to see it when I finally got that elusive recall. Even though I didn’t get the results I have been working towards this year, I’m still just so glad I finally got to dance my set with my mom in the audience.
Inhale. Exhale. You CAN do this!
This is the time of year where we all struggle with the mental game behind Irish dance. It’s a daunting thing sometimes, but I promise that it WILL get better.
We all have our moments where we doubt ourselves. Just yesterday I had to mentally tell myself to snap out of it. Don’t let one second of self-doubt take away all the hard work you’ve put into training these last few months.
Don’t do that to yourself.
I want you to look in that mirror. I want you tell yourself, “I got this.” Because you do! No matter the journey, the preparation or the emotions, you’ve GOT this.
This’ll be the last post I make before my Oireachtas on Nov 11. To all my Western Canadian girls: I’m proud of you. I’m proud of your time, passion and commitment. But most of all, I’m proud of you for doing your best and I can’t wait to see you all stand on stage next weekend.
To all the other dancers out there, I just want to say good luck as your prepare for your respective Oireachtas!
Let’s do this! ❤️
